presenting lofty heights, and encumbered with pathless forests and waste fertility, contrasted with level and cultivated coasts, may be regarded as the most striking geographical feature in all the larger, and most of the smaller islands.* Their situation indicates the common advantages and inconveniences of the tropical climates. From their exposure to the sea breczes, the heat in the West India islands, however, is far from being so intense as in the interior of Africa, Arabia, Persia, &c. where this refrigerating influence is wanted. In all these islands, the sea breeze commences about nine or ten in the morning, when the solar rays have, to a certain degree, heated the land, and rarefied the incumbent air. This breeze blows from every point of the compass, from the surrounding coast towards the interior. In the evening, when the earth is cooled, the land-breeze begins, and blows in every direction from the centre of the island towards the coast. This alternate motion of the winds, constantly tending to restore the equilibrium of the air, in proportion as it is destroyed by rarefaction, greatly contributes to mitigate the heat of the climate. The combi nation of heat and moisture in the West Indies, however, is such as to render them very unhealthful to European constitutions, a fact so well known, as to render any reference to authorities, or any examination of proofs, unnecessary. The frequency of those dreadful hurricanes, which ruin at once all the hopes of the planter, not to mention the earthquakes which have sometimes proved so fatal in Cuba, Jamaica, and other islands, must also be considered as a tremendous characteristic of the West India climate. The productions of those islands, which in all are nearly the same, with the nature of their commerce, have already been mentioned, and are subjects generally known. The peculiar circumstances of the West Indies, have given rise to a particular state of society in a great measure common to all the islands, although possessed by different nations. Little attention is paid to literature or the arts: commercial speculation absorbs all the faculties of the mind, and gain is * See Lempriere on the situation, &c. of Jamaica; and M'Kinnan's Tour to the British West Indies. Passim. the only object of pursuit. The disproportionate numbers of the two sexes, and the long prevalence of negro slavery, have unavoidably contributed to the contamination of morals, and to the introduction of licentiousness, as well as of indolence. The abolition of the African trade cannot fail of producing a beneficial change in the structure of West-Indian society. • Malouet Mem, sur les Col. tom. 4. p. 127, &c. N. B The English and Dutch do not present a more pleasing picture of society than the French colonies. END OE VOL. V. ABERCROMBIE, Sir Ralph, defeats the French near Alexandria, i. p. 321; his death, i. 323 Aberdeen, description of, ii. p. 20 Abubekar, caliph, his successful reign, iv. p. 183 Abyssinia, description of, v. p. 257; history of, v. p. 266 Abyssinians converted to Judaism by the queen of Sheba, v. p. 266 ; and Achaieus, king of Scotland, enters into a league with Charlemagne, ii. Addington, Mr. now lord Sydmouth, resigns his offices, i. p. 331 Adrian IV. Pope, an Englishman, obliges the emperor Frederic I. to Adrianople, description of, iv. p. 11 Africa, northern, or Morocco, &c. history of, v. p. 229, &c. } Africa, west coast, description of, v. p. 245, &c. Africa, east coast, description of, v. p. 252, &c. Africa, central, v. p. 274 Africa, general description of, v. p. 130, &c. African deserts, and mode of travelling in caravans, v. p. 132, &c. African islands, description of, v. p. 286 Agincourt, battle of, i. p. 201 Agra, description of, v. p. 28 Agriculture, French and English compared, ii. p. 158 Aix-la-chapelle, treaty of, iii. p. 330 Aix-la-chapelle, peace of, i. p. 283 Alaric, king of the Goths, takes and pillages Rome, iii. p. 123 Albert of Austria, emperor of Germany, iii. p. 249 Albert, archduke of Austria, obtains the sovereignty of the Netherlands, Albuquerque, his conquests in the east, iii. p. 23, &c.; takes Malacca, Aleppo, description of, iv. p. 109 Alexander, emperor of Russia, iii. p. 555 Alexandria, description of, v. p. 157 Alexandria, ancient, v. p. 201; its situation with Memphis and Thebes compared, v. p. 160. Alexandrian library, v. p. 201 Alfred, king of England, his glorious reign, i. p. 108, &c. Algiers, description of, v. p. 202 Alhambra, palace of, ii. p. 435 Ali, caliph, is assassinated, iv p. 185 Alphonso the Wise, king of Castile, draws up his astronomical tables, ii. p. 453 INDEX. Alphonso I. founds the Portuguese monarchy, iii. p. 19 Alva, duke of, his tyranny, ii. p 371 America, discovery of, v. p 294, &c. America, north, general description of, v. p. 301 America, north, central parts, description of, v. p. 405 America, south, general description of, v. p. 446 America, south, Spanish empire, description of, v. p. 451, &c. America, south, aboriginal tribes, v. p. 499, &c. America, British, v. p. 379 America, aboriginal, v. p. 395 American United States, description of, v. p. 308; history of, v. p. 342. Amrou, lieutenant of the caliph Omar, conquers Egypt, v. p. 203 - Amurath 1. emperor of the Turks, institutes the corps of Janissaries, Amurath II emperor of the Turks, besieges Constantinople without Anabaptist kingdom of Munster, iii. p. 270, &c. Andes, mountains, v. p. 448 Anglesea isle, the Mona of Tacitus, description of, i. p. 78 Angora, description of, iv. p. 117 Anne, queen of England, i. p 271, &c. Anne, empress of Russia, her reign, iii. p. 524 Antioch, description of, iv. p. 111 Antiparos, its wonderful cavern, iv. p. 17 Antoinette, Maria, queen of France, her execution, ii. p. 320 Antwerp, description of, ii p. 354; pillaged by the mutinous troops, ii. p. 373; taken by the duke of Parma and pillaged a second time, ii. Arabia, a description of, iv. p. 195 Arabians, history of, iv. p. 171, &c. Aranjuez, palace of, ii. p. 443 Ararat, mount, v. p. 69 Archipelago, isles of the, description of the, iv. p. 12, &c. Architecture, its progress in England, i. p. 162 Armada of Spain defeated, i. p. 231 Armenia, climate of, iv. p. 101 Armenian merchants, history of, v. p. 122 Armenians and Gomarists, dispute between, ii. p. 408, &c. Artaxerxes, Memnon, king of Persia, his reign, v. p. 96; revolt of his brother Cyrus, v. p. 96, &c. Artaxerxes founds the second Persian monarchy, v. p. 120 Asia, general description of, iv. p 91 Asiatic islands, description of, iv. p. 380, &c. general observations on, Assuan, ancient Syene, v. p. 162 Assyrian monarchy founded, iv. p. 130 Astrachan, description of, iv. p. 229; its curious commercial circum- Athelstan, king of England, his reign, i. p. 115; state of commerce dur- Athens, iv. p. 12 Athens, ancient description of, iv. p. 29, &c. its population, &c. investiga- tion of, iv. p. 32 Atlas, mount, v. p. 219 Aveiro, duke of, with others, executed for the conspiracy against the king of Portugal, iii. p. 27 Aurengzebe, his successful reign, v. p. 40, &c. Austerlitz, battle of, ii. p. 336 Austria, don John of, defeats the Turkish fleet at Lepanto, iv. p. 72 Auvergne, mountains of, ii. p. 150 Axum, description of, and its ruins, v. p. 263, 264. B Babelmandel island and strait, v. p. 292 Babylon founded by Nimrod, iv. p. 131; embellished by Nebuchadnezzar, Babylonians, their religion, commerce, science, &c. iv. p. 142 Baikal-lake, iv. p. 221 Bajazet, emperor of the Turks, defeated and taken prisoner by Tamer- Balbec, ruins of, iv. p. 107 Baliol and Bruce; competition for the crown of Scotland, ii. p. 46 Baliol made king by Edward I of England, and swears fealty to him, ii. p. 47; revolts, ii. p. 48; subdued, and Scotland acknowledges Ed- Balk, iv. p. 338 Barcelona, ii. p. 440 Barnet, battle of, i. p. 209 Bartholomew-day massacre, ii. p. 283 Basil, description of, iii. p. 154 Bastile at Paris founded, ii. p. 257; destroyed, ii. p. 306 Batavia city, description of, iv. p. 410, &c. Batavia, kingdom of, description of, ü. p. 385; history of, ii. p. 399- Belfast, description of, ii. p. 114 Belgium, description of, ii. p. 351; history of, ii. p. 358; revolt of, against Belgrade, description of, iv. p. 11 Belleisle, Mareschal, his memorable retreat from Prague, iii. p. 324 Bellisarius subdues the Gothic kingdom of Italy, iii. p. 126 Belus tower, ruins of, iv. p. 163 Ben Nevis, ii. p. 9 Benares, description of, v. p. 28 Bergen, description of, iii. p. 373 Berlin, description of, iii. p. 193 Bermudas islands, v. p. 392 Bern, iii. p. 154 Bernard, St. his eloquence and enthusiasm, a great promoter of the croi- Bethlehem, description of, iv. p. 112 Birman empire, description of, iv. p. 364; history of, iv. p. 372 Birmingham, i. p. 71 Blanc, mont, altitude of, iii. p. 146 Blenheim, battle of, i. p. 272 Bog and Hypanis river, iii, p. 451 |